Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV) And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Pride comes easily when we are wealthy and lack nothing because we will think that our power and abilities have gained us our wealth, but God wants us to remember that He is the source of all our wealth.
Firstly, God is the one who gives us life because it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. He provides us with the ability to breathe, move, and exist. We cannot sustain ourselves with life, even with all the riches in the world. Therefore, believers and unbelievers have no ability or capacity to build wealth without the life that God has granted them. We need to remember that God is good and the giver of life. This reminds us to be humble before Him. Those who are knowledgeable about the Bible and who know God will stay humble in the presence of God and worship Him with their wealth because they are the stewards of His resources.
We have a covenant with God, just like the people of Israel. God fulfils His covenant with the people of Israel by giving them the power to acquire wealth because that is His covenant obligation. Likewise, God provides us with the wisdom, ideas, opportunities, favour with men, skills, gifts, and intellectual abilities to acquire wealth because we are in the New Covenant established through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 14:21-23 (NKJV) Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.'”
Abraham is the forefather of the Jewish people and the first to establish a covenant with God. He witnessed how God had blessed him with all the flocks and herds until he had to part ways with Lot because the land could not support the flocks and herds of both families. Lot’s family went towards Sodom, and God blessed Abraham with the rest of the land.
Abraham forsook all to obey God and refused to turn back during times of trial. He knew and wanted to remember that it was God who had prospered him, not the King of Sodom or the world. Abraham serves as a good example to us because he remained humble despite possessing great wealth, human resources, and connections. He was humble before God and men, as revealed through his speech and actions. God wants us to remember that He is the source of all our wealth, like Abraham did.
Sermon Series: Stay Humble in His Presence
神，而非人，使我们富足
申命记 8:18 你要记念耶和华你的神，因为得货财的力量是他给你的，为要坚定他向你列祖起誓所立的约，像今日一样。
当我们富足、无所缺乏时，骄傲很容易滋生，因为我们会认为自己的能力和智慧让我们得到了财富。但神希望我们记得，祂才是一切财富的源头。
首先，神是赐生命的主，因为我们在祂里面才有生命、运动和存在。祂赐给我们呼吸、行动和存在的能力。即便拥有世上所有的财富，我们也无法靠自己维持生命。因此，无论是信徒还是不信者，如果没有神所赐的生命，都没有能力或条件去积累财富。我们需要记住，神是良善的，是生命的赐予者。这提醒我们在祂面前保持谦卑。那些熟悉圣经、认识神的人，会在神面前保持谦卑，并用他们的财富敬拜祂，因为他们是神资源的管家。
我们与神有一个约，就像以色列百姓一样。神通过赐给以色列百姓得财的能力来成就祂与他们的约，因为这是祂约的应许。同样地，神赐给我们智慧、创意、机会、与人的恩惠、技能、恩赐和智力，使我们能够得财，因为我们是在耶稣基督宝血所立的新约之中。
创世记 14:21-23 所多玛王对亚伯兰说：“你把人口给我，财物你自己拿去吧。”亚伯兰对所多玛王说：“我已经向天地的主、至高的神耶和华起誓，凡是你的东西，就是一根线、一根鞋带，我都不拿，免得你说：‘我使亚伯兰富足。’
亚伯拉罕是犹太人的祖先，也是第一个与神立约的人。他亲眼见证神如何赐福给他，使他的群畜繁多，直到他必须与罗得分开，因为那地无法养活两家群畜。罗得的家族往所多玛去了，神赐福给亚伯拉罕余下的土地。
亚伯拉罕为了顺服神，放弃了一切，并在试炼中坚定不回头。他知道并愿意记住，使他兴旺的不是所多玛王或世人，而是神。亚伯拉罕为我们树立了榜样，因为尽管拥有丰厚的财富、人脉和资源，他仍在神和人面前保持谦卑，这从他的言行中得以显明。神希望我们像亚伯拉罕一样记住，祂才是一切财富的源头。
讲章系列：在神的同在里保持谦卑